Ray Davies was born on June 21, 1944, in Fortis Green, a location situated in the north of London, England, within the Muswell Hill area. He was the seventh of eight children, and alongside his younger brother Dave, he was one of the only two boys in his family.
In 1963, Ray joined his brother Dave's band, The Ravens, on rhythm guitar and vocals. He later rose to the position of chief songwriter and singer. Between 1964 and 1965, The Kinks released several hits, including "All Day and All of the Night", "Til the End of the Day", "Tired of Waiting for You", and others.
Despite his success, Ray and his brother Dave often struggled with sibling rivalry, which sometimes led to violent behavior towards each other and the rest of the band. This behavior may have contributed to the American Musicians Union issuing a four-year touring ban against them.
In response to this, Ray decided to seek a new direction in his songwriting. His songs would reflect on his childhood and the days of the British Empire, when the class system was strong and poverty was prevalent. This style was evident in The Kinks' next four albums, "Face to Face" (1966),"Something Else by The Kinks" (1967),"The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society" (1968),and "Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire)" (1969).
In 1970, they released their most famous LP, "Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One", which spawned their trademark song "Lola" and other great tracks like "Apeman", "Get Back in Line", "Powerman", and others. "Muswell Hillbillies" followed the next year, which was perhaps their last commercially successful album.
From the 1970s to the early 1990s, the Kinks' career was marked by a roller coaster of commercial success and failure. Perhaps part of the reason for this was the bitter rivalry between Dave and Ray Davies, which could never be fully resolved.
The band went through a revolving door of backing musicians, and in the mid-1990s, the Kinks separated. Today, Ray Davies performs solo, having released four solo albums to date and also being involved in theater and television.
In early 2004, Ray gallantly chased after a thief who stole his girlfriend's purse, and was shot in the leg. A week before that, he was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to music. He has since recovered and continues to perform.
Ray's influence has been significant, with a considerable following in his native Britain and Pete Townshend from The Who crediting him as his favorite songwriter. In 2017, he was awarded Knight Bachelor of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the Arts.
